Harmonica



April 20, 1954 M. L. BEKER ET AL HARMONICA Filed Jan. 22, 1952 z r W W 2% W Patented Apr. 20, 1954 HARMONICA Mejer.Lieb Beker, Boston, Mass., and Herbert A. Schriner, New York, N. Y.

Application January 22, 1952, Serial No. 267,646

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a harmonica which has tones for a full chromatic scale but which is small in size and compact in structure. A slide valve is provided to open and close the apertures in the mouth plate, the valve being constructed and arranged so that when in one position it opens the apertures through which the whole notes can be played by blowing or sucking. When the valve is in its other position the half notes are playable through the other apertures. While the apertures in the mouthpiece are of customary size, the instrument as a whole is small enough to be carried in a vest pocket and is easy to play.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawing, of which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a harmonica embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the parts of the valve assembly;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4 but shows the valve in a different position of operation;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a section on line 11 of Figure 5; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a body member of one of the blocks.

The harmonica illustrated on the drawings consists of two blocks each having a series of wind chambers which communicate with inlet openings. Each block consists of a body member l and side plates 12 and I4. As shown in Figure 8, each body member is shaped with teeth l and is of substantial thickness. These side plates are provided with elongated ports l6 such as are shown in Figure '7. When the side plates are secured to a body member, they form air chambers l1 between the teeth l5, each air chamber having a top opening and side parts l6. Suitable reeds I8 are mounted on the plates 12 and [4 within the respective ports l6 so as to vibrate when air is blown into or sucked from the chambers IT. sembled in parallel relation by screws 22 which extend through suitable holes 24 in the blocks and also through spacing elements 28 which are between the end portions of the blocks. The space 30 between the blocks is an air passage through which air travels to or from the air The two blocks are held as-.

chambers in the blocks on both sides of this passage. A :bottom plate 32 is secured to the bottom faces of the blocks, this plate having an elongated slot 3a which communicates with the air passage 39. The top openings of the air chambers register with corresponding series of openings 35 and 36 in a stationary top plate 38 and also with corresponding series of openings 39 and as in an upper top plate 4!. The latter has side flanges 42 to guide the edges of a slide valve plate 44 which is mounted between the plates 38 and 4 I. The plates 38 and 41 are secured to the tops of the blocks by screws 46 and 48 which extend through the holes 50 and. 52 in the respective ends of the plates 38 and M.

A slot 54 is provided in the valve slide 44 to accommodate the screw 48 without interfering with the movements of the slide. The valve slide has two series or holes and B2. The holes 68 are adapted to register with the holes 35 and 39. The holes 82 are adapted to register with the holes 36 and 4G. The holes 60 are offset from the holes 52 so that when the valve slide is in one position of operation (Figure 4), the holes 60 will register with the holes 35 and 39 while the passages through the holes 36 and 4!! will be closed by the slide. The valve slide can be moved longitudinally by means of a handle or knob 64 to another position (Figure 5) in which the holes 6'2 register with the holes 36 and 40 while the passages through the holes 34 and 39 are closed by the slide. Hence, the valve slide is movable between two positions in which one set or the other of the passages to the air chambers H is open, the other set being closed.

Mounted on the outside face of the plate 40 is a mouthpiece 66 having two series of holes 10 which are continuations of the passages through the holes (it and 39 and the holes 3% and 40. These holes thus communicate with corresponding air chambers ii in the blocks except when out off by the valve slide 44.

As shown in Figure 6, the two blocks each having ports on both sides, support four sets of reeds, two sets being adapted to vibrate when air is blown out through the air chambers, the other two sets being adapted to vibrate when air is sucked in through the chambers.

Protective members H are mounted on the outer side walls of the harmonica to cover the ports [6 through the outer walls of the blocks. The members 'i! are provided with apertures 12 through which air blown into the air chambers can escape. When air is sucked into the air chambers it enters through the slot 34 and the air passage 30.

In order to facilitate the manipulatio of the valve slide 44, a spring 14 may be mounted at any suitable place within the harmonica, the air passage 30 being a convenient location for this spring. The spring may consist of a narrow strip or wire of resilient metal having a turn around a supporting pin 16, as indicated in Figure 7. One arm of the spring bears against a spring member 28, the other end of the spring projecting through a slot H in the plate 38 to engage in a hole 18 in the valve slide 44. The under face of the plate 4| is grooved as at 80, to receive the extremity of the spring 14 in case it projects beyond the plane of the slide 44. The spring is tensed to hold the valve slide yieldingly i one position or the other of this operation. As shown, the spring tends to push the valve slide to the projected position shown in Figure 4. Thus, in using the harmonica, the operator can blow or suck air through one set of holes 10 with the valve slide 44 in its normal position. If it is desired to use the air chambers in the other block, the valve slide may be pushed in, as in Figures 5 and 7, so as to open the other set of holes 10. Release of the valve slide permits the slide to be moved back to its normal position by the spring 14. Any desired combination of notes may be represented by the reeds l8.

For example, the reeds mounted on one of the two blocks may be for sounding whole notes of the scale, eight such notes being provided in the harmonica illustrated on the drawing. The reeds mounted on the other block may be tuned to sound the chromatic half notes of the scale. Thus, when the valve slide 44 is in its normal position, the whole notes may be sounded. When the valve is pushed to its other position, the half notes may be sounded.

We claim:

A harmonica comprising two parallel blocks each having a series of wind chambers with ports on both sides and top air inlets, a reed in each of said ports, a spacer element between adjacent end portions of the blocks at each end thereof, said elements holding said blocks in spaced relation and forming therewith an air passage, opening out through the bottom of the harmonica, a mouthpiece spanning the tops of said blocks, said mouthpiece having two rows of longitudinally spaced holes communicating with respective air inlets, valve mechanism between said mouthpiece and said blocks, said valve mechanism comprising an. upper and a lower parallel plate secured to said spacer elements, and a middle plate slidable longitudinally between said upper and lower plates, said upper and lower plates having two rows of apertures registering respectively with the holes in the mouthpiece, said mid plate having staggered apertures registering with one said row of apertures in the upper and lower plates when in one position and with the other row when in another position, said mid plate also having a small hole therethrough, a pin extending across said air passage from one block to the other, and a spring of the hairpin type carried by said pin, said pin having one arm pressing against one of said spacer elements and a second arm extending through the hole in said mid plate to press said mid plate resiliently to one of its positions, said upper plate having a guide groove in its under face in which the extremity of said second arm moves when said mid plate slides from one position to another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,671,309 Newman May 29, 1928 1,752,988 I-Iaussler Apr. 1, 1930 1,780,368 Shaver Nov. 4, 1930 2,384,758 Magnus Sept. 11, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 299,801 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1929 

